Born in 1977, I grew up in Stellenbosch in the quiet neighbourhood of Rozendal. My food memories as a child during the 1980’s and 1990’s are filled with flavoursome retro suburban classics such as mutton chops in a sweet and sticky Coke marinade, “chips hoender” (deboned chicken casserole topped with smashed crinkle cut potato chips), fish fingers with mash and peas, cup-a-soup with buttered toast, venison pie with that forgiving pour-over crust (after hunting season), old fashioned bean soup, steamy pancakes and pumpkin fritters with lots of cinnamon sugar, and braai broodjies with all the trimmings (including sweet versions with apricot jam and cheese). Almost everything was seasoned with Aromat and sweetened with chutney, and almost all stews and potjies were thickened with Maizena. We were a family of 6, so my mother had to cook a lot. Our food was never fancy, but it was tasty and generous.
When I had the opportunity to choose a heritage day recipe for Klein Joostenberg, I wanted to incorporate a little bit of my retro family food into the menu, also making space for the classic butchery history and wine making tradition that come with the Klein Joostenberg family roots. I chose a boneless pork shoulder roast with crispy crackling, a gravy made with the pan juices and a dollop of chutney, thickened with a cheeky few spoons of Maizena, some pumpkin fritters with cinnamon sugar, heerenbone (because they’re South African heirloom beans), and creamed spinach – just because it’s seasonal and the absolute best accompaniment for roast pork. The juicy pork roast slices beautifully, and the scored crackling is the absolute best.
The wine choice for this generous feast is Joostenberg Winery’s Fairhead, a beautifully complex white blend that pays tribute to one of Klein Joostenberg’s owners Susan Dehosse’s late mother, Gillian Fairhead Myburgh – a passionate gardener who planted the estate’s lush gardens.
Tip: for best results, start prepping the day before you want to serve the roast, so that the skin can dry out in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients: (serves 6-8)
Pork and dry rub:
1 large deboned pork shoulder (about 3,5-4 kg), skin scored in the direction that you would slice the roast
1 T (15 ml) ground fennel
1 T (15 ml) smoked paprika
1 T (15 ml) salt
1 t (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
For the roasting tray:
2 T (30 ml) olive oil, plus extra for the skin
3 carrots, sliced into 1 cm rounds
2 onions, sliced into 1 cm rounds
3 sprigs rosemary
salt & pepper, to taste
500 g shallots, peeled
2 cups (500 ml) dry white wine
For the gravy:
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
1 T (15 ml) corn flour (Maizena)
2-3 t (10-15 ml) fruit chutney
salt & pepper, to taste
Method:
Remove the pork from the packaging and pat it dry with kitchen paper. If the pork is not tied with string, tie it neatly at intervals. In a small bowl, mix the fennel, paprika, salt and pepper. Turn the pork skin side down on a tray, then rub the flesh side generously with the dry rub. Turn it over skin side up, cover any open flesh with foil (to prevent the meat from drying out), then refrigerate overnight uncovered for the skin to dry (if you really don’t have time, you can skip this step).
Preheat the oven to 220 C with rack on the middle shelf. In a large roasting tray, add the oil and brush it to cover the whole surface of the tray. Add the carrots, onions, and rosemary, then place the prepared pork on top of the vegetables, skin side up. Add the shallots around the pork, then pour the wine into the tray. Drizzle the skin with oil and rub all over, then season the skin generously with salt to cover the whole surface. Transfer the roast to the oven, uncovered, then turn down the heat immediately to 160 C. Roast for 3,5 hours. Remove the roast from the oven, then turn up the heat to 230 C. Prepare a baking tray covered with foil, then fitted with a drying rack.. Place the pork on top of the rack, then roast for another 20 minutes, or until the crackling is puffed up and golden brown all over. Remove the roast to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving, then serve with the gravy (see below).
While the crackling is roasting in the final stage, prepare the gravy. Pour the pan juices of the initial roasting tray into a small saucepan, and skim off any excess fat. Use about ¼ cup of the stock to make a slurry with the corn flour, keeping it aside. Add the rest of the stock to the pan juices and bring to a simmer. Add the slurry and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat, then add the chutney and season lightly with salt & pepper, if needed. Transfer to a gravy jug and serve alongside the roast, with your choices of side dishes like heerenbone, pumpkin fritters and creamed spinach.
(This post was created in proud collaboration with Klein Joostenberg Deli & Butchery.)
